It’s important to raise awareness of these disorders as we prepare to celebrate World Birth Defects Day on March 3rd. These conditions affect countless people and families worldwide. Raising awareness of birth defects is the aim, with a focus on the value of early detection, prevention, and access to quality care for individuals who are impacted.
Birth abnormalities can range from moderate to severe and possibly life-threatening diseases, with an incidence of 3 to 4 percent of pregnancies. They result from a multitude of variables, such as environmental conditions, genetic predisposition, or a mix of the two. Down syndrome, which is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21, is one of the most common genetic birth abnormalities and is associated with a variety of developmental delays and health problems. Fortunately, improvements in medical technology make it possible to identify it during pregnancy using ultrasounds and specific blood tests.
Another important class of birth defects is heart defects, which range in severity from simple problems requiring oxygen support after birth to complicated problems requiring major procedures such as great vessel transposition or septal defects.
Other frequent birth abnormalities that may require surgical correction include cleft lips and cleft palates. Depending on the degree of spinal cord involvement, spina bifida, a spinal cord defect, can cause minor to severe problems. Similar to this, pressure-related symptoms can result from hydrocephalus, a condition marked by fluid buildup in the brain cavities that is frequently treated with surgical procedures like shunts.
Although not usually life-threatening, clubfoot is a disorder where the foot remains twisted with a high arch. Usually, it requires intense rehabilitation and occasionally modest corrective procedures. Anomalies of the urinary system, such as pelvic calyceal dilatation and posterior urethral valves, are also prevalent. Treatment options for these conditions range in severity and can include surgery and antibiotics.
Another problem that may hinder a baby’s ability to walk is congenital dislocation of the hip, which may need to be corrected with braces or surgery. Pregnant women may think about taking folic acid supplements before getting pregnant in order to lower their chance of developing neural tube abnormalities. A successful pregnancy also depends on eating a balanced diet full of vital vitamins and minerals and abstaining from dangerous habits like alcohol, drugs, and smoking.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is highlighting the critical need for nations, particularly in the South-East Asia Region, to develop their health systems in order to prevent, detect, manage, and care for birth defects in honor of this year’s World Birth Defects Day. The fact that 8 million babies worldwide are thought to be born with birth abnormalities every year and that the most severe cases take place in low- and middle-income nations is concerning.
Birth defects account for 12% of all neonatal fatalities in the WHO South-East Asia Region, making them the fourth most prevalent cause of neonatal mortality and the third most common cause of child mortality. The percentage of child mortality in the region that may be attributable to birth defects increased between 2010 and 2019. In four nations, birth problems currently account for more than 20% of deaths among children under five.
WHO has been collaborating with nations in the region to lower rates of maternal, neonatal, and child mortality since 2014; this cooperation has included focused initiatives to treat birth defects. To prevent and treat these problems, every member state has put in place national action plans and hospital-based birth defect surveillance.
A WHO-developed online database that tracks birth defects and has millions of births and thousands of cases of birth defects is still supported by six Member States. Additionally, these nations have made strides in the vaccine against rubella; the Maldives and Sri Lanka have completely eradicated the disease, while other nations are managing congenital rubella syndrome.
Despite these initiatives, many nations still lack access to genetic and metabolic screening, as well as to cutting-edge therapies, rehabilitation, and support for impacted infants and families. Thus, immediate action is required to improve the region’s health systems, with a particular emphasis on preventative interventions, boosting data and monitoring systems, strengthening detection and treatment capabilities, and offering assistance to impacted families.
In order to ensure that every child has the chance to flourish, WHO underlines on this World Birth Defects Day that it will assist all nations in the region in strengthening their health systems to prevent, detect, manage, and care for birth defects.